Patent GB-466589-A (GB)
Title: Supporting device for head lamps with an inclination and direction control for motor vehicles and other uses
IPC: B60Q1/124
Filed: 1935-08-17
Abstract: 466,589. Directing vehicle lamps. ETCHART, A., and RUMMEL, H. F. Aug. 17, 1935, No. 23176. Void. Convention date, Aug. 30, 1934. [Classes 75 (iii) and 75 (iv)] The headlamps of a motor vehicle are adapted to be directed from the steering- gear or by the driver so that, when swivelled to the right, the left-hand lamp is turned through a greater angle and simultaneously dipped and, when swivelled to the left, the right-hand lamp is turned through the greater angle and simultaneously dipped. As shown, each lamp 1 is secured to a support 2 pivoted at 3 upon a shaft 4 connected by universal joints 5, 27 and a link 25 to a shaft 26. The shafts 26 are connected by arms 29, 30 and a link 31 forming a differential transmission, and one shaft is connected through gearing 33, 34 with a shaft 35 having a crank 37, connected by a link 43 with the steering drop arm 44 or by a link 38 and worm reducing gear 40, 41 with a flexible, or rigid, transmission 46 controlled from the steering wheel 48. Each support 2 has a pin 14 connected by a link 13 with a bracket 12 secured to a slidable sleeve 11 on the shaft 4. The sleeve 11 has an external screw-thread of large pitch which engages a nut 15 in a casing 7 secured to a mudguard 9. A spring 21 tends to press the nut 15 against the bracket 12 and a fixed stop 19 engages an arcuate groove in the nut so that the latter is rotated with the sleeve in one direction of rotation of the shaft 4 but is held by the stop in the opposite direction of rotation of the shaft thereby effecting an upward movement of the sleeve for tilting the lamp. The transmission 46, Figs. 6-8, is adjustably connected by worm-gearing 80, 82 and a casing 76 with a shaft 66 connected by a clutch 65 with a pinion 62 of a differential gear, the other pinion 57 being connected through gearing 50 49 with the steering control shaft 47. The clutch 65 may be disengaged from the pinion and engaged with the casing 54 to disconnect the lamps from the steering control and lock them in the central position, the clutch teeth being adapted to engage in one position only and the operating handle 73 being held in either position by a spring 74 so that the clutch may be operated at any time. The lamps can be operated manually by depressing a lever 102 on a handle 100 of a slidable and rotatable spring-controlled rod 96 in a sleeve 95, secured to a shaft 52, so as to disengage a pin 98 from a notch 93, or 94, Fig. 8, in a circular boss 91 in the casing 54 and then swinging the handle, thereby driving the planet wheels 60, 61, the pinion 57 being stationary. The pin 98 normally engages the notch 93 and may engage in the notch 94 when the lamps have been turned manually to illuminate the near side of the road before making a turn, a switch in the notch 94 being preferably actuated by the pin for dimming the near side lamp. For recoupling the lamps automatically with the steering shaft after a manual operation, the pin 98 is engaged in one of the notches 89 in the edge 88 of a member 83, which is rotated through gearing 84, 85, 86, 56 at half the rate of the pinion 57 so that the pinion 62 remains stationary until the operation of the steering gear brings the notches 89, 93 into register and the pin 98 reengages the notch 93. When the limit of rotation of the lamps is reached, the lamps are uncoupled from the steering gear by a tooth 90 on the member 83 moving the pin 98 as from the notch 94 into a notch 90<1> in the member, the shaft 66 then remaining stationary until, in the reverse operation, the pin re-engages the notch 94. The lamps can be adjusted at any time by operation of the gearing 80, 82 by means of the button 81. The mechanical control may be replaced by an electric, pneumatic, or hydraulic control.